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23 Feb 2011 23:23

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Politics: Mike Huckabee: Obama’s DOMA move conflicts with voters’ views

  • Mike Huckabee no likey what the DOJ did today. The social conservative, who looks like a reasonable bet as a 2012 candidate, gives an interestingly socioeconomic view of why Obama’s move to not defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court is a bad idea. We disagree with him but note that his argument that voters have turned it down at the ballot negates the fact that the public’s views have shifted recently. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 22:42

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Tech: Did you work on “Duke Nukem Forever”? Wanna be in the credits?

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 21:21

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U.S.: Edith and Thea: The women behind Obama’s DOMA reversal

  • Meet Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer. This trailblazing couple lived together for 44 years – long before gay rights were recognized and respected. The couple married in Canada in 2007 and lived in New York, where their marriage rights were recognized. Their story is even the subject of a documentary. Spyer, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, died in 2009 at age 77. Windsor, 81, wasn’t recognized as Spyer’s wife due to DOMA and had to pay $350,000 in inheritance taxes after Spyer’s death. So, as one might do when forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars over a law they don’t like, she sued the government. (A male couple, Gerald V. Passaro II and Thomas M. Buckholz, did the same in similar circumstances.) Let’s just emphasize – someone being forced to pay $350,000 in inheritance taxes after their spouse dies, just because they’re the same sex as the person they love? It’s no wonder Obama backed down. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 20:51

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World: Italy: Mass exodus from Libya could be “Biblical” in proportion

  • 6.5 million the number of people who live in Libya; about a third are immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa who could migrate easily
  • 300,000 the number of refugees Italy thinks may hit their shores after the Gaddafi regime is toppled – and that’s on the low end, by the way source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 20:39

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Politics: Obama on Libya: World’s “one voice” needed against injustice

  • The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters.
  • Obama • Speaking out finally (and directly) about the situation in Libya. Obama, who is the first president ever to meet with that Gaddafi weirdo, says that he plans to do anything to protect American citizens stuck in Libya during a time of crisis. While Obama has offered to use a full range of options to deal with the crisis, sanctions will only go so far. U.S. sanctions were only $665 million last year, while aid was less than $1 million. Hence why there’s a humanitarian crisis right now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 16:51

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Biz: She’s dead, Jim: Local news site TBD.com lays off most of its staff

  • before While Allbritton announced that they would be de-emphasizing the TBD brand, which was considered a future journalism model, they made it seem like there wouldn’t be any layoffs – just refocusing.
  • now TBD, a DC-based local news site, will now lose its sports and news coverage and become an entertainment site. Oh yeah, 12 people are getting laid off. So, yes, the TV guys did win. source
  • » A message to TBD’s staff: We hear you’ll be able to work on your publication for the next few weeks as its model changes – a temporary respite from unemployment. As someone who’s been in that position before, I can tell you it’s a bit of a dead-man-walking situation. Sigh. These things are never fun. Make the best of them.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 15:12

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Politics: Six anti-abortion activists protest at Speaker Boehner’s office

  • Our pro-life constituencies are weary of campaign promises and empty rhetoric… We don’t want another symbolic victory.
  • “Operation Rescue” founder Randall Terry • On the topic of anti-abortion politicians following through with policy. This came after the arrest of a group of six Terry supporters outside the office of John Boehner (who wasn’t even inside at the time), where they were demanding that the Speaker stand firm on defunding Planned Parenthood, no matter the Senate’s reaction. Not that Speaker Boehner can force the Senate to do anything, but procedural nuance isn’t always the strong suit of hyper-zealous, single-issue political groups. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

23 Feb 2011 14:54

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U.S.: Jury finds Shawna Forde guilty, sentences her to death

  • crime In 2009 Shawna Forde, the leader of Minutemen American Defense, committed a home invasion near the Arizona/Mexico border, hoping to find drugs to sell for the group’s finances. They ended up shooting and killing a Hispanic father and his daughter, aged 9, both U.S. citizens.
  • verdict A court sentenced Forde with the death penalty yesterday, finding her guilty of orchestrating the home invasion and subsequent killings of Raul and Brisenia Flores. The girl’s mother, who survived the shooting with injuries, said Brisenia was shot point-blank while begging for her life.
  • response Latino activists are upset by the lack of coverage this story received compared to the murder of Robert Krentz last year, which caused stridently anti-illegal immigration rhetoric and policy to flourish. Compared to the tepid response to this case? Yeah, it’s a starkly bad double standard. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 14:05

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World: Malta says “no thanks” to Ayse Gaddafi

  • NO Malta won’t accept a jet with Gaddafi’s daughter inside source
  • » Are the Gaddafis fleeing Libya? That’s the question buzzing about following an attempted jet landing in Malta. The jet’s pilots claimed they had 14 people on board, and were running low on fuel, but when it became apparent through discussions that one passenger was Ayse Gaddafi, daughter of Muammar, they were told they couldn’t land. Which, if there really were 13 other people on board, must have been truly soul-crushing for them. Malta has recently become a refugee point for Libyans looking to escape the violence that has embroiled their homeland.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 13:32

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World: Gaddafi ordered the Lockerbie bombing, says ex-minister

Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, an ex-minister in Libya, has claimed that Muammar Gaddafi ordered the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which killed 270 people. Further, he says he has proof. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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